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Top 10 Unbelievable Facts about Tai Tzu-ying

She was born on June 20, 1994, in Taiwan. Young Tai began to show her potential when she was 15 years old. Then she was able to compete at the senior level and become runner-up at the Vietnam Open a Grand Prix tournament.

She developed her career at the age of 22. Tai’s career began when she was in elementary school. She was influenced by her father who was a firefighter and the director of Kaohsiung city’s badminton committee.

Tai started playing badminton in the fourth or fifth grade of elementary school. In the sixth grade, she played at the National ranking tournament. Fortunately, she won the title in the second division.

This was the turning point as she earned the right to participate in the first division games making her the youngest player to compete in the first division

In addition, she became No. 1 in the world of women’s singles in December 2016. She is the women’s singles player who has held that title for the longest in BWF history with 200 weeks as of January 25, 2022.

In 2020 during the Tokyo Olympics, Tai won the women’s singles silver medalist. She also became the winner of the gold medalist in2017 Summer Universiade and consecutively in Asian Games in 2018.  She also won other medals at the All England Open three times in 2020. Other medals she won include the back-to-back Asian Championships titles. 

1. International Tournament in 2007

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Tai made her debut in an international tournament in 2007 during the Vietnam International. In 2009, she won the silver medal at the Asian Junior Championships, losing the final match to Chen Xiaojia in straight games.

She represented Kaohsiung City in the National Games and went into the quarter-finals. Young Tai began to show her potential when she was 15 years old, as she was able to compete at the senior level and become runner-up at the Vietnam Open a Grand Prix tournament.

In December, Tai competed at the East Asian Games for Chinese Taipei, won a bronze medal in the women’s singles, and helped the team reach the final, settling for a silver medal.

In 2010, she entered the big stage by competing in the Superseries event in Korea Open. In April, she participated at the World Junior Championships in Mexico but had to retire in the quarter-finals of 9–16 places due to injury. 

2. The most Memorable Career Turn of Event

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In June, she experienced the most memorable thing during her career as a badminton player, when she reached her first Superseries final on her birthday in Singapore Open.

She started in the qualifying draw and went on to reach the final, which she lost to Saina Nehwal in straight games.

3. She Defeated Various World Champions

In 2011, Tai made good progress by defeating the top-ranked player. She defeated Zhu Lin in the first round of the Australian Open, Wang Xin in the first round of the Indonesia Open, and in July.

She beat the former world champion, Lu Lan, in the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open which was a Grand Prix Gold tournament, and beat World Junior silver medalist Sayaka Sato in the final, which became the first international title she won at the age of 17. 

She also reached the semi-finals of the Canada, Vietnam, and French Open, where in France, she defeated China’s number one Wang Shixian in the quarter-finals.

4. Her Best Achievements

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In the early half of the 2012 season, her best achievements were reaching the semi-finals in the All England Open and being ranked as world number 16.

Tai represented her country as the second women’s single behind Cheng Shao-Chieh at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

The 18-year-old ranked 13th in the world and seeded 10th and won all matches in the group stage defeating Anu Nieminen of Finland and Victoria Montero of Mexico.

5. Youngest Player to Win Superseries title

In September 2012, she claimed her first Superseries title in the Japan Open and made history as the youngest player to win a Superseries title (currently the third youngest player.

The win was after Ratchanok Intanon who won the India Open in 2013, and Akane Yamaguchi who won the Japan Open in 2013. She was expected to be near the upper echelons and future of the women’s game by her victory in Japan and increasingly impressive performances by significant wins over some of the top players.

Later, she won the Chinese Taipei Open against Lindaweni Fanetri in a close rubber game 21–19, 20–22, 22–20.

 In November, she competed as the top-seeded player at the World Junior Championships in Chiba, Japan, but fell in the quarter-finals to Sun Yu.

7. Recruited by Team Banga Beats

In August 2013, she was recruited by the team Banga Beats to play for them in the Indian Badminton League.

She defeated Sung-Hyun in the 2013 BWF Super Series Masters Finals. Also won over Porntip Buranaprasertsuk. Unfortunately, she lost to Wang Shixian.

She made it to the semifinals and successfully avenged her loss, beating Wang Shixian. However, she ended second after losing the final to Li Xuerui.

8. Offensive Games

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Tai plays an offensive game, with many calling her style unpredictable and often spontaneous.

9. Adventurous Player

She is a very adventurous player with a disguised nature of shots, seemingly able to hit the shuttle from just about anywhere with a great range of shots and angles. Also remarkable is her very relaxed hitting action.

10. Strong Backhand

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She has a strong backhand and good net play, while her biggest fault is being inconsistent at times.

Additionally, she has strong stamina and is very athletic. Tai herself said that she does not follow a certain play or style, and focuses on herself rather than her opponent or any strategies. 

She has clocked fast smashes, with one of the fastest recorded being 360 km/h at the 2016 All England Open quarterfinals, despite her preference of playing slowly to set up shots.

Tai’s prodigious talent and deceptive shot-making have earned the compliments of many, including BWF commentator Gillian Clark, who often compliments her talented shot-making and has said that Tai is one of the best players to watch in women’s singles.